Nick's Pokemon Fan Site

How To Play | Types of Cards | Decks

How to Play

Step 1 Get Started

First find a place to play like a table also if you have a a play mat you can use that too.

Now flip a coin to see who goes first.

Next Shuffle your deck (60 cards) and draw 7 cards.

Now check to see if you have any basic Pokemon.

Now put one of your basic Pokemon face down in front of you as your active Pokemon.

Place up to 5 Pokemon from you hand to your bench face down.

Both players set aside their own 6 prize cards.

All players now play with their Active and Benched Pokemon face up.

Step 2 Let's Play

Draw a card.

Now you can either:

Put Basic Pokemon Cards on the Bench (As many as you want).

Evolve a Pokemon  (as many as you want) (Note: you still keep the damage counters you had before and you can't evolve a Pokemon you just put into play).

Attach 1 energy card to 1 of your Pokemon (only once per turn) (You can put energy on either your Benched Pokemon or your Active Pokemon but not both).

Play Trainer cards (you can play as many as you want but only one Stadium and one Supporter card per turn).

Retreat you Active Pokemon (only once per turn).

Use Poke-Powers (as many as you want). 

Attack!

Check to make sure you have enough energy attached to your active Pokemon to attack.

Check Weakness and Resistance of you opponent's Pokemon

Place damage counters on your opponent's Pokemon

Check to see if you Knocked Out you opponent's Pokemon.

Take a Prize card (if you Knocked Out your opponents Pokemon).

Your turn is over now.

About The Game

Trainer Cards (as many as you want)

When you play a Trainer Card do what it says and then put it in the discard pile. You can only one Supporter card and only one Stadium card per turn. On the starting player's first turn that player cannot play any Supporter cards from his or her hand.

Retreat your Active Pokemon (only once per turn)

To retreat you Active Pokemon you have to check what the retreat cost (energy) is and discard the amount of energy that the card says if there are not any energy by the Retreat Cost then you can retreat for free.

Use Poke-Powers (only once per turn)

Some Pokemon have special Poke-Powers that they can use when they are in play. (Remember Benched Pokemon are in play too so they can use Poke-Powers if they have any). Many of these powers can be used before you attack. Each Poke-Power is different though you should read carefully to see how each power works.

Attack!

When you attack, you place damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokemon (also called the Defending Pokemon). This is the last thing you do during your turn. you are only allowed to attack once during your turn (if your Pokemon has 2 attacks it can only use 1 of them). say the name of the attack you are using and then follow the rest of the steps below.

Check to make sure you have enough Energy attached to your Active Pokemon to attack.

You can use an attack only if you have at least the required amount of Energy attached to your Active Pokemon.

Check the Weakness and Resistance of you Pokemon

Some Pokemon have Weakness or Resistance to Pokemon of certain types. (For Example Bulbasuar has a Weakness to Fire Pokemon). Look to see if the defending Pokemon has a Weakness or Resistance to the Attacking Pokemon's type. The Defending Pokemon takes double the damage from a Pokemon that it has a Weakness to and it takes 30 less damage to a Pokemon it has Resistance to. When Benched Pokemon receive damage do not apply Weakness or Resistance.

Check to see if your Pokemon knocked out the opponent's Pokemon

If a Pokemon ever has a total damage at least equal to its hit points (for example 5 or more damage counters on a Pokemon with 50 HP) it is immediately Knocked Out.

Take a Prize Card (if you knocked out your opponents Pokemon)

Whenever you Knock Out your opponent's Pokemon your opponent puts his or her Basic Pokemon card and all the cards attached to it (Evolution cards, Energy cards and so on) in the discard pile. You then choose one of your prizes (you do this even if your opponent Knocked Out his or her own Pokemon or if it's Knocked Out between turns) and put it into your hand. After that your opponent must replace his or her Active Pokemon with a Pokemon from his or her bench. (If your opponent cannot do this because his or her Bench is empty you win) If you Active Pokemon and your opponents Active Pokemon are Knocked Out at the same time the player whose turn it is replaces his or her Pokemon last. The player whose turn it is chooses his or her Prize Card last as well.

Your turn is over now.

Sometimes there are things to do after your turn is over but before your opponent's turn begins. your opponent's turn begins.

How Do I Win?

You can win the game if any one or more of these events occur:

Collect all of your Prize Cards (collect Prize cards as you opponent's Pokemon are Knocked Out)

Knock Out your opponent's last Pokemon in play

Your opponent's is out of cards in their deck, when they go to draw a card at the beginning of their turn

How Do Special Condition's work

Asleep

If a Pokemon is asleep it cannot retreat. As soon as a Pokemon is Asleep turn is sideways to show that it is Asleep. After each player's turn flip a coin. On heads the Pokemon wakes up (turn the card back right side up) but on tails it is still Asleep and you have to wait until after the next turn to try to wake it up again.

Burned

If a Pokemon is Burned place a Burned marker on it to show that it is Burned. as long as it's still Burned flip a coin after each player's turn. if tails place 2 damage counters on it ignoring Weakness and Resistance. If an attack would Burn a Pokemon that is already burned it does not get doubly Burned instead the new bur condition replaces the old one. Make sure what ever you use for a bur marker looks different from a damage counter.

Confused

If a Pokemon is Confused you have to flip a coin whenever you try to attack with that Pokemon. Turn Confused Pokemon with its head pointed toward you to show that it is Confused.

A Confused Pokemon can retreat to the Bench normally where it loses all Special Conditions.

When you with attack with a Confused Pokemon you flip a coin. On heads the attack works normally but on tails your Pokemon receives 3 damage counters. (Only apply Weakness and Resistance for actual damage not damage counters) The Active Pokemon receives 3 damage counters even if its attack normally does not do damage (like Treecko's Poison Breath attack).

Paralyzed

If a Pokemon is Paralyzed it cannot attack or retreat. Turn the card sideways to show that it is Paralyzed. If a Active Pokemon id Paralyzed it recovers after its player's next turn. Turn the card right side up again. What this means is that if your Pokemon gets Paralyzed it will be out of action on your next turn and then it will be okay again.

Poisoned

If a Pokemon is Poisoned put a Poison marker on it to show that it is Poisoned. As long as it is still Poisoned place a damage counter on it after each player's turn ignoring Weakness and Resistance. if a attack would Poison a Pokemon that is already Poisoned it does not get doubly Poison instead the new Poison condition replaces the old one. Make sure what ever you use for a Poison marker looks different from a damage counter.

How Do you Make a New Deck?

To make a new deck first notice that all of the cards other than the Trainers have different Energy types on them. Your deck should probably have some energy cards in it you can choose to all some Colorless Pokemon if you like. If you just choose one Energy type you will always have the right kind of Energy for your Pokemon but not as much variety. If you have several Energy types you will have more Pokemon to choose from but you will run the risk of not choosing the right type of Energy for your Pokemon and be sure your decks has enough Energy cards (most decks need 20 to 25).

Once you choose your Energy types pick Pokemon and Trainer cards that work well together. Do you want to build up big Pokemon to crush your opponent? Then put in a lot of Evolution cards and some Trainer cards like Pokeball that help you find those Evolution cards.

After you make your deck play it as often as you can against as many other decks as you can. See what works and what does not and then make  changes. if you keep working at it you will have a deck that will show everyone you are the greatest Pokemon master of all time!